Despite Hopes, No ELR-V for Cadillac

It may have been far-fetched, but given the awesome looks of the plug-in hybrid, many Cadillac fans were hoping to see a high-performance version of the ELR – an ELR-V perhaps – in the future. This imagined car would join the Cadillac CTS-V, which has been an important model in reshaping the luxury brand’s performance image, and the upcoming ATS-V, which will be powered by a 3.6-liter V6 producing 425 horsepower and joined later by a higher-power ATS-V+ with a V8.

But how would Cadillac pull off a performance hybrid like the nixed ELR-V? Speaking with Mark Reuss, Driving the Nation asked whether an ELR with magnetic ride control could do the trick. Ruess said that such a solution would drain too much power from the hybrid coupe and eat away at its range. He did, however, promise that GM would “expand the tuning envelope” for the car, but did not elaborate any more. For now, (the few) ELR buyers will have to settle for its 207 hp electric motor and $75,000 price tag.